Name the cheats: England captain Paul Collingwood says players must speak up over any match-fixing suspicions

Paul Collingwood last night urged England players to turn supergrass if they had evidence or suspicions of corruption in cricket.

England’s one-day captain was talking in Cardiff yesterday on the eve of England’s first Twenty20 international against Pakistan and in the aftermath of spot-fixing allegations against their opponents’ Test captain, Salman Butt, and fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.

Collingwood said: ‘There have always been rumours.

Keep it clean: Paul Collingwood prizes the reputation of the game

'Gradually, as things come out, it may be up to the players to tell the authorities if they think something is going on. Not just players — commentators, umpires, all of us have a job to do in the end to get rid of all this.

‘If I was approached by anybody, I would certainly tell somebody about it.’

Saddened that the week’s events had disrupted England’s preparation for the forthcoming two Twenty20 internationals, which start today, and five NatWest one-dayers, Collingwood said: ‘Until it happens it is hard to say whether you would blag on someone.

'But I would like to think that I would take every decision in the best interests of the game of cricket.’

He admitted that last Sunday, when England completed their fourth Test victory over Pakistan at Lord’s to clinch the series 3-1, had been ‘one of the saddest of my career’ as cricket took a back seat to the allegations made against his opponents.

‘I love this game fondly,’ said Collingwood.

Accused: Mohammad Aamer (left), Salman Butt (right) and Mohammad Asif

‘I want that Test to be remembered for Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad’s partnership, not because of the allegations. That was the real sad thing on that day.

‘It is a feeling I don’t want to have on a cricket pitch ever again. If somebody bowls a no-ball, you are not going to start querying it and telling the authorities.

'But it has opened the eyes of a lot of people. It is up to everybody involved in cricket to get this out of the game.

‘The players are definitely 100 per cent focused on the cricket coming up. There have been distractions around but the guys are looking forward to getting out there and playing the game.

‘There will be distractions, obviously, but that is out of our hands as players. If more allegations emerge we will leave it to the authorities to sort out. We are focussed on that 2.30pm start.

‘There were distractions when we played in the World Twenty20 Final, but they were good distractions. Unfortunately, this week it has been a different kind of distraction.

Distraction: Collingwood is angry the allegations have overshadowed a fine partnership between Stuart Broad (left) and Jonathan Trott

‘As players we want the games to be remembered for the right reasons. Allegations like this are not nice for the game.

‘The players, everybody who is involved with the game, want it eradicated from cricket.

'In the past there have been rumours of things goings on. But nobody has been able to get to the bottom of it.

‘I would say from our (players’) point of view, we have never been approached or anything. I don’t think we can have a direct say in all this.

'That is why we have the authorities above us to make strong decisions and they have made some this week. Hopefully, they will in future get rid of match-fixing and spot-fixing, all for the game’s benefit.’

On the idea of players becoming whistle-blowers if they suspect anything, Collingwood added: ‘We haven’t done it in the past.

'For 30 years there have been rumours that things have been going on, but there has been no concrete evidence.

'But in my own experience, the players have never had good reason to contact the ACU (the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit).

‘But you don’t know whether players have done it individually and not told anybody else. That is stuff that would be done confidentially and kept under the carpet.

‘The atmosphere on Sunday was very much one of sadness. It kind of makes you feel sick in many ways.

'As cricketers, you play the game to compete against the opposition, to have 100 per cent competition between both sides.

‘If there are allegations of match fixing or spot-fixing, as we have now, then it doesn’t feel like competition.

'That’s why we need to make strong decisions and get this out of the game.’